This invention relates to food processing. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for improving the quality of a foodstuff by reducing living microbe and bacteria count in the foodstuff and improving color retention. The invention also encompasses a method for reducing microbe count in foodstuffs and for increasing color retention.
Almost all foods are processed in some way before reaching the consumer. For example, vegetables may be washed, trimmed, blanched, and frozen for distribution. Other examples are meat products which are separated from unusable elements, ground or chopped, mixed or blended, and often times frozen for distribution. Even lightly processed meats are cut or trimmed and then packaged.
Microbes invariably appear or grow in foodstuffs as they are processed or handled. Microbes are part of the natural decay process of organic material. Although some microbes may be relatively benign, others contribute to spoilage and some can cause serious illness if consumed. Lactic acid producing bacteria are examples of benign microbes while E. Coli, Salmonella, Staph, and Listeria bacteria in particular are pathogens and cause serious illness.
It is, therefore, desirable to control the growth of microbes or reduce microbe count in foodstuffs. Historically, microbe growth has been reduced by chemical additives or preservatives. Chemical additives or preservatives, however, may have undesirable side effects to consumers and, in any event, a growing population has expressed a desire for chemical additive or preservative-free food products. Alternatively to chemical additives or preservatives, heat has been used to kill microbes in foodstuffs. However, heat processing or sterilization often has an undesirable effect on the quality or characteristics of the foodstuff and may make the food product undesirable to the consumer. Also, heat sterilization in meats can kill all microbes, leaving the meat susceptible to the rapid growth of dangerous microbes or pathogens after sterilization.
Additionally, many foodstuffs are sensitive to processing and may have characteristics that are adversely effected during processing or storage. Raw meats in particular, lose their desired color during processing or while in distribution or storage prior to sale. Although the maximum packaged shelf-life of a cut of meat may be as much as 30 days when packaged in a CRYOVAC brand package, for example, the meat loses its desired color in this type of packaging and this color loss may render the meat undesirable to consumers.
Therefore, there has been a need in the food processing industry to reduce microbe count in the foodstuffs without chemical additives and without degrading the quality of the foodstuff as by heat processing. Furthermore, there has been a need in the food processing industry for maintaining the desirable characteristics, including color, in foodstuffs during processing or storage.